Soil salinity is increasing due to dry and harsh weather, damaging historical monuments in the ruins of cities like Ur, the birthplace of the Prophet Ibrahim, and Babylon, which was once the capital of great empires. Salt deposits seep into the mudbrick that makes up the Royal Cemetery of Ur, discovered by British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley in the 1920s, and is now at risk of collapse. Dr. Kazim Hassoun, an inspector at the Dhi Qar Antiquities Department, said: "These salts have appeared due to the greenhouse effect, and climate change has led to the destruction of important parts of all buildings in the historical city of Ur." Sand dunes have indeed caused the deterioration of the northern side of the Ziggurat of Ur, a massive stepped temple listed over 4000 years ago as a symbol of the moon god 'Nanna'. This majestic temple, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, remains one of the best-preserved examples of ancient Mesopotamian architecture and offers a glimpse into the religious practices and sacred rituals of the Sumerian Empire, where one of the world's first civilizations flourished. Iraq is facing rising temperatures and severe droughts, increasing salinity levels in its south, where the great Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet as they approach the Gulf. In the upper reaches of the Euphrates, the archaeological sites of ancient Babylon are also at risk. High salinity levels in the historic city of Babylon threaten the clay materials used in the construction of ancient buildings, on which the intricate Sumerian drawings are still clearly visible. Iraqi officials are sounding the alarm to save the antiquities of the cradle of civilizations, as a history spanning thousands of years faces extinction due to erosion caused by climate change, which threatens the ancient cities of southern Iraq.
